Off the Beaten Path: Excursions in Panama!

Panama is a beautiful country full of diverse landscapes, adventure, and amazing outdoor activities. Our excursions are designed to make the most out of all the exciting things Panama has to offer from tours of Panama City, to visiting the Panama Canal, to zip lining through the jungle. In addition, the excursions will take you to unique places and introduce you to parts of Panama most tourists will never have to opportunity to experience. Here are just a few of my favorite off the beaten path Panama excursions.

Coclé

The first excursion I went on in Panama was to Coclé, a region in the interior of the country just a few hours from Panama City. We boarded the bus bright and early and stopped for a delicious Panamanian breakfast before visiting Natá de los Caballeros (the oldest surviving town in Panama) to tour a nearby archaeological dig site. The next stop on our trip was a rice farm. I thought a rice farm sounded a bit boring, but it ended up being the best part of the day! The family that owned the farm invited us into their home for a delicious lunch before showing us around the rice fields. After learning a lot about rice (which is actually really interesting!) we headed back to their house where we relaxed in hammocks and played with some cute puppies. To end the day, we went horseback riding around the farm and enjoyed the countryside scenery.

Embera Village

One of the most incredible experiences of my life was visiting the Embera tribe on an excursion. After making our way down a bumpy dirt road, we climbed into handmade dugout canoes and headed into the jungle. We meandered our way upstream and finally made it to the Embera village, still untouched by the modern world. We toured the village, which consisted of about a dozen huts, and learned about the Embera culture through song and dance. For lunch, we had fresh fish and plantains cooked over a fire and served on a banana leaf. After spending the afternoon in the village, we climbed back into the canoes and began our journey out of the jungle and back to Panama City. It was such a unique and eye opening experience, we couldn't stop talking about it for weeks!

El Valle

El Valle is a popular mountain town located in an ancient volcanic crater about 2 hours from Panama City. We left early and stopped for some roadside breakfast before beginning our first activity of the day: horseback riding through the mountains. The scenery was absolutely amazing, and even though our horses had some attitude, we had a great time. The next stop on our trip was the El Valle Zoo where we got to hang out with some monkeys, sloths, and the endangered Panamanian Golden Frog. After lunch in town, we set off to the mountains where we hiked to a waterfall. Afterwards, we headed to our last stop of the day, the hot springs, where we relaxed after our hike and got to try some weird volcanic face masks. We enjoyed El Valle so much that we ended up going again a few months later!

Pedasí

Pedasí is a quaint town located on the Azuero Peninsula about 5 hours from Panama City. This excursion was 3 days/2 nights and was one of my favorites because of the wide variety of activities we did. We left Panama City super early Friday morning and headed to our first stop, the Ron Abuelo rum factory. We put on some hard hats and toured the factory. We got to learn about how rum is made and stored. Our next stop was a tuna farm. Your probably thinking “What?? A tuna farm??”. It's okay because those were my exact thoughts as well. Turns out tuna is really interesting! Afterwards we headed to our hostel in Pedasí and explored the town a little bit before having a delicious BBQ and heading to bed early. The next morning we set off for Isla Caña, an isolated beach popular with nesting sea turtles. Next, we headed to Playa Venao, a popular surfing destination in Panama. There was actually a surfing competition going on the day we were there, which was really cool! On our last day in Pedasí we took a 30 minute boat ride to Isla Iguana where we spent the morning and afternoon snorkeling in the crystal clear waters before heading back to Panama City.

 Written by: Lauren Stuart 

Hidden Treasures in Valencia: Bioparc Valencia

By Christina Reynolds

It’s the same feeling every time you’re visiting a zoo. You inch as close to the fence as possible, stretching to attempt to touch each animal as they stare back at you with a face that only makes your heart melt. Imagine a controlled environment in which you were a part of the animal’s habitat, and not vice versa? Welcome to Bioparc Valencia.

Focusing on their concept of zoo-immersion, Bioparc Valencia differs from your average zoo. They pride themselves on immersing the visitor in the habitat of the animal, allowing for an open environment and very natural feel. Although visitors are still an arms distance from the animals, their homes are easily adaptable and provide striking similarities to their original ecosystems. Bioparc Valencia actively participates in the conservation of a species ecosystem, believing that preserving its habitat is essential to saving its species. Additionally, each habitat provides in depth information and interactive teaching techniques regarding its animals, not only assisting visitors with an exciting experience, but an educational one as well.

Get a feel for the African savannah, equatorial forest, Madagascar and the African wetlands all in the center of Valencia. From zebras and hyenas to giraffes and gorillas, the park offers visitors a multitude of animals to visit. For only a two and a half mile journey from the study center and only 24 euro for admission, you can enjoy the day feeling like you’ve embarked on an African safari.

Want to get a little closer? Here’s a friendly tip: giraffes love to eat the grass surrounding their habitat. Grab a handful and reach as far as you can, and if you’re lucky, maybe one will snack on what you’re offering!